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Engine suitable for a Gokart
carpmart - 29/12/08 at 09:10 PM

Hi Chaps

I have just acquired a Gillard Kart chassis and I'm looking for a suitable engine to go in it. I was dreaming about putting a blade engine in it but TBH, I think I will go for a gokart engine first!

Anyone got one they want to sell?

Rather than a kart engine, I may also consider something like a TL350 engine if you have one of these knocking about!

Thanks!

philw - 29/12/08 at 09:26 PM

I used to have one of these, http://www.andersonkarts.com/images/karts/GAVIN05.jpg 250cc Rotax then a 250cc Honda CR engine 150/160mph, however in a gillard chassis which iirc only has a rear brake a 100cc 2 stroke motocross engine will scare you

[Edited on 29/12/08 by philw]

carpmart - 29/12/08 at 09:35 PM

quote:
Originally posted by philw
I used to have one of these, http://www.andersonkarts.com/images/karts/GAVIN05.jpg 250cc Rotax then a 250cc Honda CR engine 150/160mph, however in a gillard chassis which iirc only has a rear brake a 100cc 2 stroke motocross engine will scare you

[Edited on 29/12/08 by philw]


Even the thought of one is scaring me

Have you got a 100cc engine knocking about?

rf900rush - 29/12/08 at 09:44 PM

Was looking at this a while back to see if I should break or sell (comlete) my CBR400RR. (CAT C)

LINKY


You should find many smaller bike engine's no one wants on ebay.

50cc and up.

StevieB - 29/12/08 at 10:17 PM

OT - how much do you wan for the CBR400?

For the kart engine, you need to find the right balance - a while ago I thought sticking an R1 in a kart would be a great idea until I saw a vid on Youtube. While it looks fun in a one off afternoon power slide kind of way, it just looks dangerous and probably quite slow due to the amount of sliding and wheel spinning it was doing.

phoenix70 - 29/12/08 at 11:02 PM

If it will fit, I would stick to something like a Rotax 125 kart engine, they are more than quick enough on a kart, and you don't have the nasty service intervals that most 100cc karts have. Another alternative would be a 125 gearbox engine, but I'm not sure what the chassis can handle.

The problem with putting a bike engine on the back of a kart is it makes the thing undrivabl and an other issue is finding somewhere to use it

Cheers

Scott

the_fbi - 29/12/08 at 11:04 PM

There was an unsealed and no-engine number Senior Max floating around ebay the last few weeks. You're still looking at £450+ though, + carb + exhaust + coil (which will soon add up to another £200).

Plenty of 100cc engines on eBay usually for sub £100, if you don't mind something a bit older.

andyw7de - 30/12/08 at 12:19 AM

I fitted a honda 160 engine to the chassis i got from Davey D.

Geared it for acceleation instead of top speed and hey presto one very happy 11 year old on christmas day

Dangle_kt - 30/12/08 at 08:53 AM

I got a little 50cc 2stroke quad complete, with a spare engine (as the on in there is seized I think)

You can have it all, for free.

Won't go very quick - but its free, and includes exhaust, carb, throttle cables, brakes - I was going to strip it to make a little go kart - then I remembered I can only arc weld and any frame would weigh about the same as the moon, so its sat in my garage ever since.

In the north west if you want it - or anyone else for that matter.

dhutch - 30/12/08 at 11:37 AM

We used to have honda C90 engined karts.
- Might be slower than your thinking of, but certainly for a lighter/lessexperieced driver they make a nice gearboxed engine.


Daniel

craig1410 - 30/12/08 at 02:06 PM

Hi,
I have owned both a 100cc fixed drive kart (Formula A I think it was - a real screamer which would rev like you wouldn't believe!), and a 210cc villiers gearbox kart. Both were just for fun and weren't race prepared or anything but my god they could shift! Of the two, the villiers was most fun but not because of the extra power, it was because I could bump start it then put it out of gear and jump out for someone else to get in and have a go. It also makes it a hell of a lot easier to tune the engine when you can disengage the gears.

Going a step further, I would recommend you get an engine with electric start and centrifugal clutch as it will mean you are not reliant on someone to bump start you all the time. My Dad used to tow me behind his car on an airfield to start my kart. Once I was fired up I would let go of the rope and blast off. Also, for tuning the engine a friend and I would wind rope around the back wheels and pull it to start the engine (on the fixed gear kart) - this worked quite well.

Something like a 125cc electric start with centrifugal clutch and fixed gear drive would be ideal in my opinion. You will have loads of fun. Either that or a 200cc four stroke.

Enjoy!
Craig.

carpmart - 30/12/08 at 02:26 PM

Thanks for all the replies.

I have searched ebay several times and I thought there would be loads of suitable Kart engines on there. I must not be entering the correct search fields, can anyone help me out on what to search for please?

I think craig1410's post is spot on, in so much as a complete 125cc electric start engine with centrifugal clutch would be perfect. Where do I get one?

Thanks!

Dangle_kt - 30/12/08 at 02:32 PM

sounds like a simpe scooter engine would work fine, or a honda gpx engine - they have centrifugal clutches.

that free 50cc motor I have is centrifugal clutch...


http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38.l1313&_nkw=kart+engine&_sacat=See-All-Categories

search for kart or karting not go kart, or gokart. the people who are into it insist on missing off the go bit, as it makes them sound like 7 year olds

[Edited on 30/12/08 by Dangle_kt]

craig1410 - 30/12/08 at 02:43 PM

quote:
Originally posted by carpmart
Thanks for all the replies.

I have searched ebay several times and I thought there would be loads of suitable Kart engines on there. I must not be entering the correct search fields, can anyone help me out on what to search for please?

I think craig1410's post is spot on, in so much as a complete 125cc electric start engine with centrifugal clutch would be perfect. Where do I get one?

Thanks!


Try going along to a local karting event - if you go on practice day, rather than race day when everyone is pretty busy, you will be able to ask around and quite possibly walk away with someone's spare-spare engine. The Rotax FR125 engine (used in Rotax Max kart class) is electric start and has 50 hour service intervals - that might be what you are looking for. Here is the spec: http://www.sscracing.com/page.cfm?content=34

Most of the serious racers go through quite a lot of engine's so you have a good chance of finding a perfectly serviceable engine which is not quite "perfect" enough for race use. They need to be rebuilt by authorised dealers and then sealed to be eligible for race use so if you can find an unsealed engine it should be cheaper.

Try www.karting.co.uk for starters, they have a market place and will list all local kart tracks. Usually Saturday's are practice days and Sunday is race day.

Cheers,
Craig.

[Edited on 30/12/2008 by craig1410]

the_fbi - 30/12/08 at 04:32 PM

As I mentioned earlier, do bear in mind that a Senior Max (which the more powerful FR125) is going to set you back at least £550 even for an unsealed one (£400), when you factor in ignition/coil (£40-£150), carb (£60-£160), exhaust (£30-£130), radiator (£30-160) and that'll be when you manage to pick up the parts at their cheapest.

The Max isn't a cheap engine, but its blinking fast.

If you do decide to take it semi-seriously then do check out http://www.oekc.co.uk which runs quite locally to you (MK and Whilton Mill (which is 10 mins off J16 M1)) and is 4.5 hour endurance, with practice and qually on top. Great value for money.

OEKC isn't MSA run, so you don't need the current spec pod bars (parallel rather than the front leg angled forwards) but the kart needs to be safe and meet the technical regs as published on the website.
Edit: Just reading the 2009 regs and apparently we need to meet current MSA regs on the pod bars now.

There was one unclutched TKM (push start) running this year and its not really an issue unless you spin and have to get out to push yourself.

Our clutch (on a Senior Max) failed in the last race of the season and gave us exactly the same issue, just makes pit stops (and the weigh bridge) a bit more interesting.

[Edited on 30/12/08 by the_fbi]